have chicken-fixin's fer dinner, in 'ud drap Brer Fox en Brer
Possum, en w'en she'd have fried greens in 'ud pop ole Brer
Rabbit, twel las' Miss Meadows, she tuck'n tell de gals dat she
be dad-blame ef she gwineter keep no tavvum. So dey fix it up
'mong deyse'f, Miss Meadows en de gals did, dat de nex' time de
gents call dey'd gin um a game. De gents, dey wuz a co'tin, but
Miss Meadows, she don't wanter marry none un um, en needer duz de
gals, en likewise dey don't wanter have um pester'n 'roun.' Las',
one Chuseday, Miss Meadows, she tole um dat ef dey come down ter
her house de nex' Sat'day evenin', de whole caboodle on um 'ud go
down de road a piece, whar der wuz a big flint rock, en de man
w'at could take a sludge-hammer en knock de dus' out'n dat rock,
he wuz de man w'at 'ud git de pick er de gals. Dey all say dey
gwine do it, but ole Brer Rabbit, he crope off whar der wuz a
cool place under some jimson weeds, en dar he sot wukkin his mind
how he gwineter git dus' out'n dat rock. Bimeby, w'ile he wuz a
settin' dar, up he jump en crack his heels tergedder en sing out:
"'Make a bow ter de Buzzard en den ter de Crow,
Takes a limber-toe gemmun fer ter jump Jim Crow,'
"en wid dat he put out for Brer Coon house en borrer his slippers.
W'en Sat'day evenin' come, dey wuz all dere. Miss Meadows en de
gals, dey wuz dere; en Brer Coon, en Brer Fox, en Brer Possum, en
Brer Tarrypin, dey wuz dere."
"Where was the Rabbit?" the little boy asked.
"You kin put yo' 'pennunce in ole Brer Rabbit," the old man
replied, with a chuckle. "He wuz dere, but he shuffle up kinder
late, kaze w'en Miss Meadows en de balance on um done gone down
ter de place, Brer Rabbit, he crope 'roun' ter de ash-hopper,
en fill Brer Coon's slippers full er ashes, en den he tuck'n put
um on en march off. He got dar atter 'w'ile, en soon's Miss
Meadows en de gals seed 'im, dey up'n giggle, en make a great
'miration kaze Brer Rabbit got on slippers. Brer Fox, he so
smart, he holler out, he did, en say he lay Brer Rabbit got de
|